Mass-loss Leaves Close-in Exoplanets Exposed To The Core
Monday, April 27, 2009 - 09:21
in Astronomy & Space
Scientists have found that giant exoplanets orbiting very close to their stars could lose a quarter of their mass during their lifetime. They found that planets that orbit closer than 2% of an Astronomical Unit (AU), the distance between the Earth and the Sun, may lose their atmospheres completely, leaving just their core.